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Thursday, February 15, 2018

Album Review: Inara George - Dearest Everybody

Inara George

Dearest Everybody

*** out of *****

Inara George’s newest solo album Dearest Everybody is an organic stroll through heartache and the longing to connect in both life and the ways we all uniquely have a relationship with loss. Her first solo adventure since 2009’s Accidental Experimental finds George delivering unique lyrics, around engaging musical arraignments which all sound fresh and alive.

“Young Adult” starts the record by confidentially dealing with confusion of growing up. The lyrics remain hopeful amidst the uncertainty while pianos and bass lay the foundation before the chorus coalesces with grandeur. Rain drops and banjo color “Crazy” feeling like a spring morning stroll along a stone path in a garden

The sparseness of “A Bridge” puts the showcase squarely on George’s voice. The track layers her vocals and breathy “ooh and aahs” to completely wash the listener in her sound and nothing else. That layering also shows up for “Somewhere New” augmented by clapping and light strings but this disk is designed to shine the light on George’s voice; her singing throughout is wonderful as she moves from high fluttering to a warm soulful directness that spawns empathy.

The soft rock of “Slow Dance” gently picks up the musical pace while “All for All” has a baroque childish quality to it dealing with clichés in a Simon and Garfunkel vibe. “Stars” seems like it could have been at home on Father John Misty’s most recent release while “House on Valentine” uses muted horns and a light march to try to say goodnight to the past in a very effecting way. At times when George goes too airy there can be a flimsy quality to the track but when the musical style matches the substance she succeeds.

That combo clearly arrives on her most complete effort, the torch song “Release Me”. The soulful effort displays warm rich bass, organ work and softly picking acoustic guitar, all overshadowed by a vocal that drips with emotion. Written from her mother’s point of view after the death of her father, the track smolders and still manages to exude positivity.

The daughter of Little Feat’s Lowell George, Inara has unique musical interpretations flowing through her and some of the effortless sounding tracks here prove that. However, it is her singing, hard work and life experiences which imbibe Dearest Everybody with both heartache and hope.